Dusk At the End Please

Great Journeys

Bandung Pangandaran trip starts at exactly 10 p.m. The bus drove towards the highway. All the way through with crowded conditions smoothly because time is not too late.

The Chileunyi-Rancaekek-Nagrek line is very smooth and is also supported by very cold weather conditions. Some of the passengers seemed to have started closing their eyes to dreamland.

But not with Akhtar he could not close his eyes at all. His mind was traveling thinking of Shanum who was on a bus with Ahsan. Besides it looks Rania was already in the dream realm.

Akhtar's gaze swept over the existence of all passengers, when conditions felt already conducive Akhtar quietly stood up from his seat, he went down the bus aisle to look for Andi's whereabouts. The committee in charge of Bus 1.

"Sir..Mr. Andi", call Akhtar whispering wake up Andi who was just about to close his eyes.

"Yes sir, how can I help you?" andi replied rather loudly as Akhtar woke her up.

"Sstttt.", Akhtar pressed his index finger against his lips, codifying Andi not to speak too loudly.

"Please check on bus 2 there are still empty seats?", he asked Andi.

"Why Sir? " ask Andi wonder.

"I want to move to bus 2, please condition" he whispered to Andi's ear.

Andi immediately called the committee who served on bus 2 to confirm it.

"There sir said on Bus 2 there are still some empty seats" he explained to Akhtar in a whisper as well.

"Good then, would you please arrange my move to bus 2 but let no one know you can, right?" tanya Akhtar made sure.

"Yes sir", Andi just nodded in surprise without daring to ask what reason the chairman of his foundation was willing to move.

"Sir, if now it seems like we have not been able to move, at most we will stop at the rest of the new area Mr. can move", Andi again whispered in Akhtar's ear.

"Okay, please arrange yes!", replied Akhtar. He passed back to his seat after patting Andi on the shoulder.

Apart from Nagrek, the next trip is greeted with a special one-turn southern route in the Limbangan area to Malangbong. Road conditions are quite smooth, with occasional need to slow down because of the logistics trucks that run very slowly.

The journey of Bandung Pangandaran is still long, the committee decided to rest in the Malangbong Regional SPBU. This is Akhtar's chance to move buses. He had previously contacted his youngest sister Naura to occupy his seat. Without asking too much Naura also obeyed the orders of her brother.

Some people take advantage of this opportunity to go to the toilet or just smoke for men. After resting for about 15 minutes, they continued their journey.

The next road segment is Malangbong - Tasik they returned through very smoothly. The combination of smooth asphalt, soft bends and fairly long straight tracks really spoil Mr. Driver in driving his vehicle.

Akhtar is already on bus 2, his position is now in a row of back seats that appear still empty. No one has yet realized Akhtar's whereabouts there. He sat down casually, wearing the head covering from his hoodie jacket without anyone suspicious.

After the vehicle drove long enough, the condition of bus 2 back quiet. The passengers began to fall asleep again. Akhtar again could not close his eyes. He stood up from his seat looking for the whereabouts of someone he had been worried about.

After scanning all the seats from front to back, Akhtar had not yet found what he was looking for but he calmed down a bit because from the front Ahsan's voice made an announcement and seemed to be sitting side by side with a man.

He breathed a sigh of relief at least Shanum did not sit side by side with Ahsan. Akhtar's gaze swept back across all the seats, he turned his head to the side. Two seats across the seat that was empty now occupied by someone. Akhtar didn't realize from earlier that someone was watching him suspiciously.

When Akhtar looked at the sight they had met.

The two men looked at each other and momentarily locked their eyes. Akhtar opened his hoodie hat to make sure that the one in front of him was Shanum.

Shanum was shocked to find out that his suspicions were correct. The person he had been watching and suspecting was Akhtar.

Shanum glared, although the lighting on the bus was only dim but Shanum saw what Akhtar was doing. He returned to his original position, trying to ignore Akhtar who was back in his seat.

Akhtar breathed a sigh of relief because the person he had been looking for had been sitting alone and was beside him despite his distance. Akhtar smiled happily, all his worries did not happen.

The next route is Tasikmalaya-Ciamis. The bus was traveling at an increased speed than before. The condition of the streets that sped up spurred Mr. Driver drove his vehicle faster.

The atmosphere inside the bus was getting quieter, all the passengers seemed to have fallen asleep in their dreams. Akhtar glanced to the side, Shanum sitting on a chair by the window.

Seeing the chair next to Shanum empty Akhtar thought maybe this was his chance to be able to talk alone with Shanum. Without thinking any more, Akhtar stepped over to Shanum and sat down beside him.

Shanum, who had closed his eyes, was disturbed when he found out that someone was sitting next to him. He opened his eyes and turned his head to the side, seeing that Akhtar was already sitting beside him.

"Sir Akhtar?" shanum said nervously.

"Can I hear you again. Call me as I used to?" akhtar asked quietly but was still heard by Shanum.

"No", Shanum replied firmly.

"Why?"

"Because it turns out that when we are reunited everything is not the same" Shanum replied in a slightly quivering voice. He really did not expect to be in such a situation.

"Who says it's not the same, Num?" Akhtar spoke with a straight forward look.

"Everything is the same, in my heart and mind there is always you. My world is still about you, Num", said Akhtar who did not waste this opportunity to express his feelings all along.

"All about you is never lost, I never take my world away from you. All this time everything I've done has been on you. Until one day I found out a truth that I did not confirm first and I was wrong."

"When I came back, my main goal was you Num, I went back to Garut to make sure you were. I got information from my best friend Andi while in the dormitory that you were married to a government employee in Bogor. You know Num, once my world collapsed. Everything I planned was extinct, my expectations were not in accordance with reality. I could not think clearly to ignore the truth of the information and I finally regretted", Akhtar said in a trembling voice. There was a cry that tried to hold him, although in the end the teardrops were no longer able to hold him.

"The reality I received changed my days. I feel like I have no purpose in living this life. Dad was worried seeing my situation, he and his family decided to match me with Raina" Akhtar paused his words.

"I'm sorry, Shanum. I'm sorry if I still can't get rid of everything about you and I'm sorry if I go back selfish, can't erase my sense of ownership for you".

Shanum sighed when he heard Akhtar's words, he finally opened his voice.

"Yes, all the feelings are not lost, there is still just no longer together" Shanum said, he lowered his head as he said.

Akhtar sighed, wanting to hug Shanum, take him into his arms and convince Shanum that everything will be fine, he will fight for his love.

"It's A, Aa don't be like this. This is wrong, we cannot dissolve in the past that cannot be returned. I've been sincere, let's live each of our lives. Walking on the same path with different goals and there will never be an intersection that will bring us together again", there was a small sob that Shanum endured while saying all that.

Akhtar who heard Shanum call it with a call like he used to smile thinly, his heart warms up, he misses the call very much.

"Ikhlas is a lie, willing to be forced. It's just that you don't want to look weak, then pretend to be strong, even though your heart is very hurt",

"Earthning and raising the do'a is our duty. Then let his Kun Fayakun work. If it is his destiny, if it is time God will give you and make you for me, Num".

"You fix yourself there, and I fix myself here. We will meet at the best point according to destiny and I believe as long as the God of hope there will be no futile do'a. See you at the best point, huh." Akhtar ended his speech, his right hand outstretched rubbing the head of Shanum covered with hijab as if flowing love and affection for Shanum. He stood up and returned to his seat.

Shanum grumbles at receiving Akhtar's treatment, he permeates every word Akhtar speaks, which sounds ambiguous to him.